Author Archives: John and Michelle
The Budapest Ruin Pub Phenomenon
One of the many things that made Budapest such a fun, interesting place to live was its thriving ruin pub scene. Each ruin pub has its own personality, all of them full of character and whimsy. Here are some photos that capture this oh-so Budapest craze.
How to Spend 48 Hours in Istanbul
Here’s an ultra-condensed list of our most favorite experiences in this fascinating, vibrant, chaotic city that we called home for three months.
I tried all the Turkish desserts so you don’t have to
Oh, the things I do for you readers. Here, I share the highlights of my bold quest.
All the Best from Budapest!
I realize that, with our sparse writing of late, it is probably difficult to tell where we are these days. Well, we have been in Budapest now for a few weeks, and we’ll be here until July. There is still so much to write about in the other cities we’ve been to, so it’s really quite difficult to catch up. On top of that, we visited several more cities along the way.
Reconsidering Mehmet
Death, being a sneaky bastard, does not always cooperate with princes, kings, and emperors, and in the age when medicine included things like medical astrology and bloodletting, and eschewed things like basic hygiene, this was especially true. The reductionist could make a surprisingly cogent argument for accidents of birth and death being responsible for empires.
Byzantine Istanbul V: Church of the Holy Savior in Chora
So if it’s just a little Byzantine church, what’s the big deal? That will become abundantly clear inside, when you’re greeted by wondrous art: the kind of art that makes you understand what all the fuss is about art; the kind of art that makes you forget to close your mouth when you stare. The best kind of art.
How to Visit Prague in Two Days
If you only have 48 hours to spend in the City of a Thousand Spires, here’s how I’d suggest you spend it…
In Communist Czechoslovakia, Blog Post You!
I have my own opinions about Communism, and bear with me because they’re subtle. Communism is like the horrifying fever dream of a second-year political science undergraduate with borderline personality disorder who has just taken his first sociology course and thus knows exactly why the world is so oppressed. However, it apparently did have its moments of levity.
Sorry, We’re Still Here
It has been brought to my attention by some good friends who are visiting us that we haven’t updated the blog in something like a month. Turns out this is true. This is also terrible. We are, in fact, still here. “Here” is currently different, though. Our visa ran out, so we left Turkey. Our […]
Avoiding the Scam Artists: The Double-Edged Sword of Turkish Hospitality
Honestly, Turks are a lovely people as a whole, but like any large group, there are some unwanted elements. In Turkey they usually fall into the category of aggressive salesmen. Granted, some of this is my own fault, given how non-confrontational I am. When Minnesota nice meets “let me take you to my cousin’s carpet shop,” painful awkwardness has a tendency to ensue.
No Ticket Back 
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